


Just A Matter Of Time

by Frostly



Series: Drabble Collection [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Time Travel, kid!kyungsoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21937267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostly/pseuds/Frostly
Summary: October 7th 2029, 10:00 AM, Sunday.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Series: Drabble Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1498340
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	Just A Matter Of Time

**Author's Note:**

> prompt:  
> 
> 
> hello everyone!! 
> 
> drabble #2 from the prompt list, slightly altered, no time machines!  
> 16 more to go!

“So…” Minseok says slowly. “We’re in the future.”

Jongin has no fucking idea how this happened. He had been in Minseok’s apartment, play-wrestling on the floor for the remote, when suddenly a blinding white light had flashed out of nowhere, engulfing them, and he’d found himself in an unfamiliar bed, half-lying on top of Minseok with his head resting on his chest. His naked chest. 

He’d shot up in the next split second, clambering away and dragging half of the covers away with himself, a similarly panicked Minseok sitting up beside him. They had stared at each other with wide eyes and gaping mouths, until Minseok’s eyes had fallen down to Jongin’s left and his face had drained of all colour. 

Jongin had whipped around, terrified of whatever Minseok had seen behind him, a monster or a freaking multi tentacled alien, but what he had found was an alarm clock, of the digital kind, sitting unassumingly on top of a night stand, date and time displayed brightly on its screen. 

October 7th, 2029, 10:00 am, Sunday.

 _2029_.

Jongin hadn’t even had time to freak out because that is _not_ the right year at all, can’t _possibly_ be, because something else had caught his attention and stripped his mind of any logical thought.

A nice silver photo frame. With a picture of him and Minseok wearing black tuxedos. Kissing. Under a rain of rice and heart-shaped confetti. 

Breath stolen from his lungs, Jongin had hastily brought his left hand up to his face, almost slapping himself in the process, and sure enough, he had found it. 

A simple golden band, looped prettily around his ring finger. 

Whirling around on his knees, he had seen Minseok, looking white as a sheet now, staring down at his own hand, golden band on his finger matching the one on Jongin’s. 

“And…” Jongin has trouble getting the word out. “...married.” 

They glance at each other, only to hastily look away when their eyes meet. 

They’re sitting side by side on the bed now, the enormity of the situation having dawned on them. 

Jongin hugs his bare legs tighter against his chest, staring at the sheets bunched up around his feet. He’s only wearing a night tee and a pair of boxers. 

His head hurts and nothing, _nothing_ makes sense. 

“I guess… we should get up and… see what’s out there?” Minseok says, nodding in the direction of the bedroom door.

Jongin swallows. A door has never looked so terrifying. 

“Yeah,” he gets out eventually, clearing his throat when his voice cracks. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Maybe, uh… maybe you should put on some pants,” Minseok says after they’ve climbed off the bed, not quite meeting Jongin’s eyes.

“Right,” Jongin says awkwardly and pointedly ignores the fact that the pajama bottoms he should be wearing with his night tee are the ones that are hanging low on Minseok’s hips, as he makes his way to the dresser. 

After he’s put on a pair of sweatpants and Minseok has slipped on a t-shirt, they warily make their way to the door. 

Minseok slowly wraps his hand around the handle, but doesn’t open the door right away. They look at each other, silently counting to three before Minseok turns the handle fast and swings the door open. 

They’re met with a long corridor, spacious, with warm white walls and a few more doors that they don’t dare open. The corridor spills into a roomy living room with nice dark wooden furniture, a thick rug, a sectional sofa with a throw blanket spread out messily over it, and a television. There’s a kitchen too, separated from the living room by an island, dark wood as well. 

The house is... simple. But homey. It doesn’t feel impersonal. There’s a lot of colour and life, in between each piece and bare gap. It feels lived in. Jongin doesn’t know what to think.

Wordlessly, they shuffle in the kitchen. The furniture here is nice too, modern, something that Minseok would like. 

There is stuff hanging on the fridge, little notes, receipts, pictures, stuck on the door with letter magnets of all colours, and Jongin goes to stand in front of it to take a look.

One particular picture catches his attention. It’s a selfie, of him and Minseok, seated side by side at a table, smiling, coffee cups in front of them. It’s weird, because Jongin could swear those are the same exacts clothes they were wearing before… whatever this is… happened. 

Brow furrowed, Jongin reaches for the picture to see if there’s a date or something of the sort on the back, when his eyes fall on the picture below, and he does a double-take. 

It’s a picture of him and Minseok, ridiculous little party hats perched on their heads, big smiles lighting up their faces as they both hug a little boy in between them, sporting a smile just as big, a huge cake sitting in front of him with lit candles and red frosting spelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYUNGSOO”.

There’s a drawing next to the picture, three stick figures, the one in the middle shorter than the other two. Under each one, written in wonky, colourful letters, a little slanted: “dad”, “kyungsoo”, “dad”.

Jongin feels faint. 

That can’t possibly be…

“M-Minseok…”

“ _Dads!_ ”

A shrill voice pierces the sleepy silence of the house, followed by the thundering of little socked feet, coming from the corridor. 

The same little boy from the picture runs towards them, an indignant scowl furrowing his brow and pulling down his lips. 

“Dads! Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?! You promised you’d wake me up and we’d go to the park early, you promised, you promised!” 

Jongin stares and he doesn’t have to turn and see Minseok’s face to know he looks just as shocked as he feels. 

The little boy keeps looking at them, frown unwavering on his round face. He’s wearing a cute pajama set with little teddy bears dotted everywhere. 

“I…” Jongin breathes. “You’re…” 

He looks back to the picture stuck on the fridge and feels his knees waver a little. 

“You promised the park and the slide and, and a full day together!”

This is… this… 

“Hey,” Jongin says and he really has no idea where the hell he finds the voice to. “Hey, kid, let’s, uh… let’s play a game.”

Minseok’s head snaps towards him but Jongin ignores him for now, focused on calming the boy so they can think for a moment. Because this is possibly huge and Jongin needs to take this one step at a time. 

The boy scrunches up his face, confused. It’s very cute. “A game?” 

“Yeah, uh, a game of questions,” Jongin nods and crouches down to the boy’s eye level. He’s got big brown eyes. “You want to try?” 

“Okay,” the boy mumbles, eyeing him dubiously. 

“Okay, um… your name is...?”

“Kyungsoo.”

“And you are…?”

“Five!” the little boy ー _Kyungsoo_ ー raises his hand, five little fingers sticking up proudly. “I’m five years old!”

“And we are…?”

“My dads.”

There’s a moment of silence then in which Jongin internally freaks out because this… this is for _real_. This is his kid. He has a _kid,_ with _Minseok_ , because they’re _married_ , with a _house_. 

“Why are you being so weird?!” Kyungsoo demands, clearly not enjoying the game very much. 

“Okay, kiddo,” Minseok cuts in quickly. “We’re sorry we didn’t wake you up, how about you go with… with your dad… to get ready while I cook some breakfast?” he gives Kyungsoo an encouraging smile.

Kyungsoo nods. “Okay.”

“What would you like to eat?”

“Waffles,” Kyungsoo says, like it’s obvious. “We always eat waffles for breakfast on Sundays.”

“Right,” Minseok says and breathes out a laugh that’s only a little strained. “Waffles on Sundays. Of course.” 

He turns to give Jongin a meaningful look and Jongin puts his freaking out on hold to straighten up. 

“Yeah, uh… c’mon, kid, let’s get you dressed up for the park.”

Kyungsoo squeals happily and disappears back inside the corridor. 

Jongin meets eyes with Minseok. 

Alright. 

They can do this. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Jongin didn’t really know what to expect, but the world outside in 2029 looks… exactly the same. 

The district they live in is a rather quiet one, sleepy neighbourhoods with sleepy streets. There aren’t many people around, especially for a Sunday, Jongin thinks. 

The walk to the local park isn’t long, it’s Kyungsoo that unwittingly leads them to it. It’s a nice scene, full of green. There are joggers and a dog park and a basketball court where a group of teenagers are passing a ball. 

Kyungsoo sprints to the slide as soon as they arrive to the playground, his little hat almost falling off, calling for Minseok and Jongin to follow after him. 

It should be alarming how _easy_ it is to just... ease into this. 

They play with Kyungsoo, watching him clamber up the small plastic stairs of the slide and come down again and again, his little mouth stretched into a toothy smile, pushing him on the swing, hovering wearily behind him as he makes his way up the plastic rock wall, running after him through his delighted giggles, laughing, having fun, chasing off the early fall chill. 

They go to McDonald’s for lunch. Kyungsoo squeezes an amount of ketchup that borderlines on unhealthy on his fries, just like Jongin does, but when Jongin offers him some of his Coca-Cola, he scrunches his little nose and shakes his head, declaring that Sprite is the better soda, much to Minseok’s smug delight. 

They decide to go to the movies next. Kyungsoo chooses what to watch and sits in between them, chattering their ears off while they wait for the trailers to end and giggling like mad while the movie plays, helpfully stuffing Jongin’s and Minseok’s mouths with little fistfuls of popcorn all through it. 

Everything is just… so easy. 

That’s not to say there aren't any awkward moments. 

At the park, other parents greet them with familiarity, as if their family is a regular fixture at the playground, and Minseok and Jongin are left to awkwardly greet them back and make casual chit chat as if they totally know who they are and what their children are called. 

One time, both Jongin and Kyungsoo turn around when Minseok calls “baby, come here” from a few feet behind them. Jongin flushes up to his hairline when he realizes what he’s done, while Minseok looks like a deer caught in the headlights, as if he himself isn’t sure who exactly between the two he was referring to. 

Or just when they’re smiling so wide their cheeks almost hurt as they watch Kyungsoo talk a mile a minute (the kid really is a chatterbox), inexplicable fondness warming their chests, and their eyes find each other. That’s… that’s awkward too. 

When they finally come back home, it’s dark outside, Kyungsoo slumped on Jongin’s shoulder. Together, they make quick work of helping Kyungsoo brush his teeth and change into fresh pajamas, dino patterned this time. The kid is so exhausted that he’s out like a light as soon as his head hits the pillow, each little fist curled tight around each of their hands. 

It’s so easy, Jongin thinks still as they silently make their way to their bedroom. 

He’d be lying if he said he’s never fantasized about being with Minseok, having a home together, going to bed with a goodnight kiss and waking up in the morning tangled into each other. 

Like, okay, he’s never gone as far as picturing them being married and having a child together, but now, after all this, it just looks like the most obvious outcome.

Maybe it’s too early and Jongin is still too young to think like this, but… this feels right. It _is_ right, considering this the freaking actual future and all. 

“So…” Minseok begins as they sit side by side on the edge of their bed. “That kid is something else.”

Jongin smiles, gaze down to his lap. “He really is,” he murmurs. “I got attached.”

“Of course,” Minseok chuckles. “You’re his favourite.”

“What?” Jongin says with an incredulous laugh. “He’s got stars shooting out of his eyes every time he so much as looks at you!”

Minseok shakes his head, a smile curving his lips, and they lapse into silence once again. 

It’s Jongin that breaks it. 

“Do you think…” he starts, voice quiet. “Do you think we’re ever going back home? Home as in… as in the past?” 

It’s still so freaking surreal to say it.

“I don’t know,” Minseok says, just as quiet, a small shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe we should go to bed. Think of a plan tomorrow.”

Jongin nods. “We should.” 

But neither makes a move to get up. 

Jongin doesn’t know how it happens, only that he looks at Minseok at the same time as Minseok looks at him, and suddenly, Minseok’s face is coming closer and he’s leaning forward to meet it.

Only, just as they’re about to close the last inch between them, a familiar blinding white light appears out of nowhere and Jongin finds himself dropping on top of Minseok on the floor of Minseok’s apartment. 

They scramble to their knees, the sound of their frantic voices jumbling together.

“Fuck! What the _fuck_!” 

“What the fuck was that?!” 

“Did youー did you see it _too_?”

“Yes, holy shit, yes.”

“Did we both have a lucid dream at the same time or what the fuck?”

“I don’tー I don’t think so… it felt so real… it _was_ real.” 

“Shit.”

Jongin can do nothing but agree with the sentiment. 

They’re back.

Jongin looks down at his left hand. The pretty golden band is missing. 

They’re really back.

He can’t deny the little twist in his stomach. 

“So…” Minseok clears his throat, after their hearts have finally stopped trying to beat their ways out of their chests, tone affecting nonchalance. He’s not looking at Jongin. “Do you… do you want to get coffee?” 

Jongin has never answered something so fast in his life. 

“Yes.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  


At the café, they take a picture of their first date, seated side by side at the table, smiling up at the camera, coffee cups in front of them. 

**Author's Note:**

> XIUKAI SOULMATES !!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> \--hem hem
> 
> this was a little christmas present from me to xiukai nation!! hope you guys enjoyed reading, i had fun writing it!! <3 
> 
> next time (hopefully soon) i'll be back with the longer fic i'm still working on and that is killing me haha orz ...
> 
> see you!! happy holidays!! <3


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